What a lovely pre-Halloween weekend!
I have lived in the Doylestown /New Hope area for near 23 years now, and Im still as smitten as I was the first day. New Hope is located about 25 miles north of downtown Philly, and is often regarded as the halfway point between NYC and Philly. New Hope was called Coryell's Ferry as early as the late 1600's early 1700's, after the owner of a ferry business. The current name came into use following a fire in 1790 that destroyed several mills, lodgings and business. Their reconstruction was considered a "new hope" and the town flourished again. Over the years, the town had many famous resident from George Washington to Aaron Burr, a distant relative of mine, to the likes of James Michener, Odette Myrtil, Charlie Parker, Dorothy Parker, Oscar Hammerstein, George Nakaashima, not to mention a slew of authors, impressionist painters, musicians and other artist, sometime shunned from society, making it a artist colony over the years. Famous and Broadway personalities are not uncommon to see in town randomly. Over the years I have seen Betty Buckley, Angela Lansbury, Shirley Bassey and Hugh Jackman. Celeste Holm and Nathan Lane use to come to Odette's regularly for cabaret acts. But the ghost, paranormal activity and spirits- what ever you may call it, are no doubt something out of the ordinary that attract people to New Hope. I have one friend who got so overwhelmed with unnerved feelings once he won't go back. But there is certainly something about New Hope. It is a quaint, very liberal community, still artist filled, and crossed with the witch craft crowd.... and a ghost filled town if there ever was one. We make a top ten list every year. The territory originally belonged to the Lenni-Lenape, and then "claimed" by King Charles II of England, afterwards given to William Penn in the 17th century. While I have never seen a ghost myself, I have felt presence in a few of the places. It's a picturesque town with charming shops and lovely eateries, yet there is no doubt that the eerie and unexplained phenomena have a pull just as strong. Halloween is no exception. Everyone working at these places have stories, and most resident have had some kind of experience Seems everyone get into the spirit so to speak. It's been mobbed too. Some of the past residents are still here. I just wonder if I have encountered Aaron when in town and he kept a distance??? There is one thing that is definite, you cannot doubt the fact that there is plenty of spirit in this hamlet. Some shots from yesterday
The New Hope Railroad isn't know for the fastest service.
Many of you longtime readers will remember the numerous posts on this house. Dolores decked up her home after last years fore-go because of Covid. Nice to see it again this year. Jan can be seen around town sharing her art with passer by.
Along the towpath
Today were some early birthday libations in East Falls at the Black Squirrel Pub
